University of Saskatchewan > College of Education > EDCUR 200 > Instructional Methods

CONCEPT ATTAINMENT

Background

It seems that most of what we do as humans is categorize or classify objects or events for the purpose of generalizing. To do this, we must observe carefully. To be informed consumers of information, students need to learn that there are abstractions that humans use to classify. For example, what is the concept of “triangle”? The abstract qualities that all triangles have in common is three sides, three angles, and the angles add up to 180°.

Consider this example of classification: when the British Columbia government decided that photo radar was a legal and effective way to control speeding, a person called a radio talk show to say that he thought photo radar was unfair. Photo radar would mean anyone who drove over the speed limit would be ticketed. Photo radar would not be able to discriminate between “legitimate speeders and hard core speeders.” Personally, I had never classified speeders as legitimate or hard core, and I would have liked to ask him the difference. This person had classified speeders into two sub-groups. The rest of our society might classify one group: speeders. We classify into more precise categories those objects, actions, processes which are more important to us.

Each subject area has different objects, actions, processes classified in different ways. We want students to be able to read a newspaper article and understand what they have read in the sense in which it was meant. For example, if they read a political article, they should understand the way in which political scientists classify. Even better, our students would be able to guess at some of the mistakes the journalist has made in interpreting what the historian, scientist, etc. actually said. Even better, our students might be able to critique the conclusions that the experts (the historian, scientist, etc.) came to.

A concept attainment method involves students learning to classify a set of objects or events in a way that the experts classified them. What makes Baroque music Baroque and Jazz music Jazz? What characteristics did scientists look at when deciding some chemicals are acids and some are bases, and some are neither acids nor bases? The students will be using the categories that experts use, and will be attempting to determine the rationale behind the categories.

The Concept Attainment Method has a high tolerance for ambiguity. This means that the students might seem to be following the wrong path, but eventually, they will come up with the expected answer. You would use this method when the concept the students are expected to learn is possible to learn by studying examples of the things or events, and/or when there is no other way of classifying these objects or events that would be considered correct. For example, if you wanted your students to learn that sonnets are a particular form of poem, different from haiku, you could give students samples of sonnets, altogether in one set called “sonnets”, and of haikus in a set labeled “haikus”, and have them come up with the characteristics the sonnets had in common that the haikus did not have. You would use this method instead of just telling the students what makes a sonnet a sonnet, because students will learn the material much better when they figure it out for themselves. As your students learn more about the classification, you will also learn more about it. As well as learning the material better, and remembering it longer, the students will learn how to learn by using this model. We want students to become independent learners and critical thinkers. This method will help them with both these goals. (Have you ever looked at two foods in the same aisle in the grocery store and wondered why they were placed together? Grocery stores have, at least it seems so to me, the most bizarre classification schemes!)

Typically, concept attainment is done with small groups of students. It is almost always easier to think critically and creatively when there is someone else throwing ideas into the mix.

Concept Attainment instructional method facilitates certain of the Common Essential Learnings. The most obvious are critical and creative thinking, communication, and of course, independent learning. Personal and social values and skills might be included if you help your students work in a positive way with their peers. As well, if the particular concept involves mathematical relationships, the students could use their numeracy. However, classification itself is a type of numeracy. You could talk about sets and subsets, or you could use the term “Venn diagrams”. If the particular concept involves understanding a technology, technological literacy might also be addressed.

Practicalities

Set up:

Carry out:

Debrief:

For every teaching strategy involving a debrief, I will suggest a different method. There are a number of ways in which debriefs can be done. Please mix and match the different forms of debriefs you use. In all large group (six or more students), encourage your students to use their conversation skills. (Don’t over-teach this, though. Tell them only once or twice in the year. Remind them only when you see that they are forgetting.) Their conversational skills are to listen carefully to what other speakers say. Then when they talk, they build on what others have said, and demonstrate this by using phrases such as “What I think is similar to what (another student) said”, or “I disagree with what (another student) said, because ...” Encourage them also to speak tentatively with phrases such as “I thought” or “it seems”.

Check up:

Hints

Examples of concept attainment models:

Give your students: